“Social networking sites are already pretty popular. So how do you improve on the internet’s hottest web offerings? The answer could be to make them three-dimensional.
Start-up company Vivaty of Menlo Park, California, is creating a hybrid of conventional social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace and virtual worlds like Second Life. Rather than filling a web page with photos, a list of hobbies and their favourite software applications, as users of Facebook do today, Vivaty users will get access to a virtual room. They can adorn the walls with photos, watch a virtual television that plays YouTube or invite friends over to join them.
Instead of chatting by sending each other messages, Vivaty users will be able to speak “in person” via 3D avatars. Vivaty will be offered to Facebook users this year.”
Source Citation: “Social networks in three dimensions.(Technology)(Brief article).” New Scientist 198.2650 (April 5, 2008): 23
I’m not sure how different this is from what Second Life already offers, as I’m not an avid SL-er (although I certainly hope the graphics are better!), but how cool is it that you can have YouTube (or other branded <ahem>) videos playing on your virtual TV. It sounds like a great way to visually aggregate several digital media outlets.
Hopefully, they’ll think to add a functionality for users to place a stock market ticker on the wall of their virtual room for tweets and a computer monitor on a desk for displaying blog posts!
Interesting that they’re intro’ing the tech via Facebook – wonder if it’s only going work from FB or if it will also be stand-alone…
~Carie
4 Comments
Interestingly enough, as I was reading this post I thought of the latest release of Grand Theft Auto. Now, before you jump to any conclusions…no, I am not a gamer. But my husband enjoys playing XBOX. Since the latest GTA came out, he has been playing it and I have picked up on a few things when I walk through the living room (or he has the volume a bit too loud in my opinion).
Though GTA is make believe, the description of Vivaty’s hybrid social network sounds like it incorporates a lot of what can be seen, created or heard in GTA. Here are some examples:
– talks about podcasts
– text/chat with “friends”
– watch television (shows they created)
– use Search
– invite friends to play together and talk in real-time
– online dating
– email
– listen to music
This makes me wonder, will the future of GTA and other video games have the capability to incorporate players’ real-life social networks?
Do you think people would want to blend the two?
hi carie, thx for the great post. i work at vivaty and yes, you are right, we are trying to create the right way to bring rich, immersive visuals onto the web, combined with all the stuff you already love doing (like photos, videos, twittering, etc). we’re starting in FB but will be available other places soon. if you or your readers want a beta invite, just email us at betaVIP@vivaty.com. happy friday all. – Heidi
You couldnt be more on the level!
Probably your greatest blog post online!